Hold-down plate for counting machines



FIG. 1

Nov. 4, 1941.. N. s. WELK 2,261,707

HOLD-DOWN PLATE FOR COUNTING MACHINES Jul 26 19:59

1 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 4, 1941'. N. s. WELK ,2 7

HOLD-DOWN PLATE FOR' COUNTING MACHINES 7 Original Filed July 26, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTO/? Nelson 5, Walk Patented Nov. 4, 1941 HOLD-DOWN PLATE FOR COUNTING MACHINES Nelson swat, Athena ohio, assignor to The McBee Company, Athens, Ohio,

01' Ohio a corporation Original application July 26, 1939, Serial No.

Divided and this application October 16, 1940, Serial No. 361,464

6 Claims. (C

My invention relates to that class 'of counting machines such as is described in my copending application Serial No. 286,570, of which this application is a division.

In machines of this type, as many cards as 50,000 are counted in an hour. Owing to this high speed, it has been found in practice that unless the cards are directed into the carrying rolls by rigid means which will maintain their correct alinernent there ensues a piling up of the cards which requires the stopping of the machine and gathering up the cards, which have piled up in the ,machine.

These cards, it originally arranged sequently, must then be sorted in the desired sequence. All this consumes a considerable amount of time with attendant expense and unavoidable delay, which to a certain extent nullifies the value of the counting machine.

Furthermore, it is well known that the tendency of a card as it is leaving the carrying rolls is to assume a horizontal position in which case it will not enter the next set of carrying rolls unless it is located on the sameplane. This produces disastrous results, for unless the card is quickly taken out'of the plane of travel of the next succeeding card it will cause the cards to pile up.

My invention has for its principal object to provide a construction which will insure a card, upon leaving the feed rollers, being directed into the next set of carrying rollers in correct alinement so as to insure its being in correct position to actuate the counting mechanism.

A further object is toprovide means which will deflect the cards from a horizontal position to that which will not only insure them entering the next set of carrying rollers, but will cause them to pass completely out of the path of travel of the succeeding card thus preventing any piling up of the cards.

A further object is to direct the cards at the point of their impingement upon the concave the feed or the carryingrolls, as well as the inertia resistance offered by the concave foot of the paddle wheel.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which are hereunto annexed and form a part of this specification in which:

Figure 1 is a top or plan view of a counting machine showing my improved hold-down plate;

Fig. 2 is a vertical side elevation, partly broken away and partly shown in section for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 3 is a perspective down plate and platform.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entire specification. 7

As shown in the drawings, which are more or 1 less fragmentary, since this application is directby the oflice, the counting machine is provided act of the paddle wheel, shown in my said application Serial No. 286,570, (provided the counting machine is so equipped) so that they will not crawl over the heel of the said foot and interfere with the proper actuation of the counting mechauism.

A further object is to provide a construction which will prevent such sheet articles as thin cards, checks, coupons, etc., if made of comparatively thin paper, from buckling. Practice has shown there is a decided tendency for such an occurrence to take place, because of the push of 55 means of screws l2 and ed solely to the matter required to be divided'out with side frames l and 2. A card support 3 is suitably mounted in the side frames and is adapted to contain a stack of cards 4. As shown these cards are fed from the bottom of the stack by means of a feed roller 5. The surface of which is preferably formed with a cover of medium soft rubber. This roller may be rotated in any convenient way as desired. A plate 6 is suitably secured to the side frames l and 2 and extendsto a point approximately in front of a set of wringer or carrying rolls "I and 8. The lower roll 8 is preferably made of steel. The upper roll is formed of hard rubber, as I have found in practice this combination ismost effective. The upper roll is composed of a plurality of sections which are spaced from each other as clearly seen in Fig. 1. Any desired number of sections may be employed. This is determined by the size of the counting machine."

At the rear of this set of wringer rolls I and 8 is a second set of wringer or carrying rolls 9 and [0 which are similar in type to the first set, except that the lower roll is preferably formed of medium soft rubber, and theupper ones are of steel and preferably mounted on antifriction bearings (not shown). Preferably these correspond in number and are in register with the sections I of the first set. These rolls 9 and lllare mounted in spaced relation to the first set. This provides space for mounting the counter (not down plate II which is secured to the plate 6 by l3 which pass through detail view of the holdrying rolls 1. These extensions or fingers ii extend rearwardly between said rolls and terminate adjacent the second set of wrlnger or carrying rolls 9 and Ill, and preferably about :s' in front of them.

Intermediate the two sets of wringer or carrying rolls I mount a platform II, as shown it is substantially triangular in shape, in cross-section. It is secured in place by bolts l I which pass into the side frames I and 2 through lugs i8 and I! which are bent up at each end of the platform It. The top of the platform i6 is substantially on a plane with the point of contact of the rolls 9 and i0.

Operation The frictional contact of the bottom card 4 in the stack on the feed roller will move the card rearwardly where it will enter the first set of wringer or carrying rolls I and 8 I have found in practice that the natural tend ency of the card as it leaves these rolls is to assume a horizontal position. When the type of counting mechanism is used which has a paddle wheel the card 4 has a tendency to over-ride the foot of the paddle wheel of the counter, shown in dotted lines. I avoid this by the use of my improved hold-down plate, the downward inclination of which directs the edge of the card 4 into the most favorable position to actuate the paddle wheel. In addition it insures the card entering carrying rollers 9 and .ill. The platform it prevents the card 4 from dropping down and thus failing to properly register with the said rolls 9 and i0. The fingers or extensions l5 also serve to prevent the buckling of checks formed of thin paper or thin cards, which sometimes occurs, especially where a paddle wheel is employed to actuate the counting mechanism.

Although I have described a specific form for my hold-down plate, it should be clear that I do this solely to illustrate a preferred form, and that I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to these precise forms except as such limitations may appear in the hereinafter appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I regard as new and desire to secure lay Letters Patent is: 1. In a counting machine for counting cards,

said hold-down plate which extend forwardly intermediate the spaced carrying rollers of the first set and above said platform, said hold down plate and platform being immovable.

2. In a counting machine for counting cards. spaced sets of pairs of rollers to carry the cards through said machine, a platform intermediate said sets of rollers, means mounted above said platform to insure the entrance of a card to be counted into said rollers, said means and platform being immovable and forming a continuous uninterrupted path therethrough.

3. In a counting machine for counting cards. sets of pairs of rollers mounted on different planes to carry the cards through said machine, a platform intermediate the sets of rollers, a hold-down plate to insure the entrance of a card to be mounted into said carrying rollers, and flexible finger means carried by said hold-down plate which extend intermediate certain carrying rollers of the first set and terminate adjacent the lower set of rollersand above said platform. said hold down plate and platform being immovable.

4. In a counting machine for counting cards,

spaced sets of pairs of rollers mounted on different planes to carry the cards through said machine, a platform intermediate said rollers, means to insure the entrance of a card to be counted into said rollers, and flexible finger extensions on said means which extend intermediate the spaced carrying rollers of the first set, said platform and means being fixedly attached to the frame of said machine.

sets of pairs of rollers mounted on different planes to carry the cards through said machine, a platform intermediate the sets of rollers, a plate rigidly secured in said machine, a hold-down plate mounted on said plate arranged to insure the entrance of a card to be counted into said carrying rollers, and finger means carried by said hold-down plate which extend intermediate certain carrying rollers and terminate adjacent the lower set of rollers and above said platform, said plate and said platform being immovable.

6. In a counting machine for counting cards. sets of pairs of rollers mounted on different planes to carry the cards through said machine,

spaced sets of pairs of rollers to carry the cards through said machine, a platform intermediate said sets of rollers, a hold-down plate to insure the entrance of a card to be counted into said carrying rollers, and flexible finger extensions on a platform intermediate the sets of rollers, a plate rigidly secured in said machine, inclined laminated-supports on said plate, a hold-down plate mounted on said supports arranged to insure the entrance of a card to be counted into said carrying rollers, and finger means carried by said hold-down plate which extend intermediate certain carrying rollers and terminate adjacent the lower set of rollers and above said platform,

said hold down plate and said platform being I nonvariable in relation one to the other.

NELSON S. WELK.

5. In a counting machine for counting cards, I 

